1 Kings 19:19-21--The Call of Elisha

1 Kings 19:19-21
English Standard Version
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The Call of Elisha
19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

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I would assume that Elijah did as he was told and anointed Hazael and Jehu first before anointing Elisha, so I think this passage is telling us that Elijah completed all the tasks that the LORD had given him to do.  When Elijah found Elisha, he was in the middle of plowing with twelve yoke of oxen (24 oxen with each pair yoked together) in front of him, and he was with the twelfth.

When Elijah passed by him, he cast his cloak (some older translations would say "mantle" upon him)--we'll see how this is important and symbolic not just now at the call of Elisha but at the end of Elijah's ministry.  Let me explain the symbolism now as best I can though--symbolically, this cloak/coat/mantle represents the calling and empowering of the Holy Spirit to ministry.  We've used phrases like "mantle of leadership" since then, but this is specifically about Elisha being equipped to do the work that the LORD is calling Him to do.  Immediately Elisha responds (seemingly without any words needing to be said) by realizing he is being called to leave his family likely to never return.  His only wish was to go back and kiss his father and mother goodbye.  Elijah said he would not prevent Elisha this one request.

After Elisha returned, he took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate.  There's plenty of meat on just the two oxen that Elisha could have fed lots of people with just the team he was driving, but this passage could mean that he killed all twenty-four oxen as a sign that he was never coming back to farm that land ever again--it was quite the sacrifice either way.  Whether he sacrificed two oxen or twenty-four oxen, he understood the calling and immediately responded in obedience and he left everything behind to follow after Elijah and obey the LORD.  Now Elijah did not tell Elisha that he was going away and that it was the LORD's intention for Elisha to replace Elijah.  For now, Elisha is simply content to know that his calling is to follow Elijah and help him in any way that he can.